Board Chief's Daughter Made Me Bark; My Powerful Family Exposed

My dad guarded the gates of our high school for ten years.

The principal called him a watchdog, and he just lowered his head and said, You're right.

Students would throw trash into his guard booth, and he would silently sweep it up with a broom.

The whole school called him Old Turtle.

My mom is a cafeteria lunch lady.

Every day her hands shake so badly it looks like she has Parkinson's.

When students knocked over her food tray, she crouched down to pick up the grains of rice.

And yet this couple raised me, the top student in my grade.

A sweet, adorable, clever daughter.

Today, the school board chairman's daughter cornered me in the restroom with her friends.

For a college recommendation slot, she tore up my exam paper and stripped off my school uniform.

"A security guard's daughter thinks she's fit to fight me for a spot at a top Ivy League university?"

She held up her phone recording, laughing wildly.

"Kneel down and bark like a dog, and I'll let you go."

I looked at the shredded paper scattered all over the floor and laughed.

"Bark like a dog? Sure."

"But what you owe me, we're going to settle first, one item at a time."

...

"Settle accounts? What do you have to settle with me?"

Rowena burst into exaggerated laughter.

At that moment, Rufus, who had been keeping watch outside the door, walked in.

He was my deskmate, the one I'd tutored for free for three years, and the school's acknowledged heartthrob.

Now he trailed after Rowena, wearing a fawning look.

"Sonia, don't be so ungrateful."

"It's your good fortune that Rowena even wants your slot."

"You're just some low-level security guard's daughter. Even if you got into an Ivy, you'd come out a penniless nobody working for the rich."

"Better to do the Pruitt family a favor now. Rowena could let a little money slip through her fingers, and it'd be enough for your dad to gnaw on bread in that guard booth for the rest of his life."

Looking at that face that had once so humbly begged me for help, my stomach turned.

"Rufus, did you forget what got you that city-level Model Student award last month?"

I didn't waste any more words. I just pulled out my phone.

I opened a recording I'd backed up long ago.

"Rufus, I've already bought the answers to this final exam. Copy them onto your paper for me."

"No problem, Rowena. As long as you help me change the name on Sonia's first prize in the physics competition to mine, I'll cover all your exams from now on."

"She's just a security guard's daughter. I'll have a word with the academic affairs office."

In the restroom, Rowena and Rufus's laughter cut off all at once.

Rowena stared at my phone, her smile draining away until only barely concealed panic was left.

Rufus went further, pointing at me and cursing.

"Sonia, how dare you set us up!"

I gave them a cool glance.

"You want me to give up my recommendation slot? Fine."

"Rowena, cough up the scholarship funds you stole by cheating."

"Rufus, give back the competition slot you claimed in my place."

"If even one thing is missing, this recording lands in the Department of Education's complaint inbox tomorrow."

Rowena screamed and lunged to grab my phone.

"You bitch! Give me that phone!"

I twisted aside and slapped her backhand across the face.

Rowena clutched her cheek, her eyes going wide.

"You dared to hit me?"

"Hold her down! Smash her phone!"

Just as the girls moved to act, the tightly shut restroom door let out a huge crash.

"Bang!"

The door was violently kicked open from the outside.

Chairman Pruitt walked in, briefcase under his arm, four burly bodyguards in suits behind him.

He glanced at Rowena, still covering her face, and then his gaze settled on me.

"Sonia, you think you're walking out that door today?"

Rowena looked like she'd found her savior and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Dad! This bitch hit me! And she even used a recording to blackmail me!"

Ronald patted his daughter on the shoulder without so much as a glance at me.

He pulled the documents out of his bag and slapped them down on the sink counter.

"Sonia Fox, senior, Class One."

"Repeated theft of confidential school documents. A serious offense."

"By decision of the school board, you are expelled, effective immediately."

Ronald lit a cigar and blew out a smoke ring.

"A watchdog's mutt daring to bite the hand of its master?"

"Killing you is easier than crushing an ant."

Seeing this, Rufus immediately stepped forward.

"Sonia, the school board is already going easy on you."

"Hurry up and sign this statement of voluntary withdrawal and forfeiture of your recommendation slot. Don't be shameless when you're being shown mercy."

I didn't take the paper. Instead, I stared at Ronald.

"Stealing school secrets?"

"Ronald, do you really think everyone in the world is a fool?"

"That black USB drive in the archives roomyou know better than anyone what's on it."

At the words "black USB drive," Ronald's face darkened in an instant.

I looked straight at him and didn't give an inch.

"Three million in scholarship funds for needy students, embezzled outright."

"Toxic building materials used against regulations to renovate the science buildingtwo incoming freshmen diagnosed with leukemia, both dead."

"To cover up the truth, you paid off the families and faked their medical records."

"Is that what you call a school secret?"

Hearing all this, Rowena and Rufus turned to Ronald, shock on their faces.

Ronald crushed the cigar out hard in the sink.

He took a step closer.

"Sonia, today I'm being merciful and leaving you a way out."

"Hand over the drive and sign the withdrawal statement."

"I'll wire five hundred thousand to your account, and your family of three gets out of Capital City right now and never comes back."

"Otherwise, I promise your whole family won't live to see tomorrow's sun."

Suddenly my father's face flashed through my mindthat face always wearing its ingratiating smile.

The man everyone called "old turtle" had always taught me.

"Girl, if someone forces you to hand over your last card, never give it up."

"With no card left, you die even faster."

I met Ronald's gaze.

And spoke two words, clear and precise.

"Keep dreaming."

Ronald let out a sneer.

"Tough bones."

"Then let's see which is harderyour bones, or my methods."

He suddenly threw out his hand.

"Somebody, hold her down and make her sign!"

Four burly bodyguards lunged at me.

Two bodyguards, one on each side, clamped down hard on my shoulders.

I struggled with everything I had, but they pinned me down without a shred of mercy.

Rufus took a box of ink paste and the withdrawal statement with a fawning smile, then walked up to me.

"Sonia, you should have thought of this before you started."

He forced at my tightly clenched right hand, trying to press my thumb into the ink.

"Let go of me!"

I clenched my teeth and kicked hard at the bodyguard holding me down.

Just as Rufus was about to pry my fingers open, someone came rushing into the bathroom.

It was my best friend, Anya.

"What are you doing! Let go of Sonia!"

When Anya saw me pinned to the counter, her eyes went red in an instant.

She charged straight in and sank her teeth into the arm of the bodyguard holding me.

The bodyguard yelped in pain and backhanded her hard across the face.

Anya was already thin and frail, and the blow sent her flying.

The back of her head cracked against the tiled corner, and blood instantly soaked the collar of her school uniform.

"Anya!"

Anya lay on the floor, but still reached out for me with everything she had, trying to crawl over and save me.

Rowena walked over with a cold smile and looked down at Anya on the ground.

"A worthless little wretch who doesn't know her placeyou dare to meddle in my Pruitt family's affairs?"

She lifted her foot over Anya's outstretched right hand and stomped down hard.

Crack.

The sound of breaking bone rang out.

"Aah!"

Anya's shrill scream tore through the whole corridor, her whole body convulsing with pain.

"Anya!" I thrashed like a madwoman, tears bursting from my eyes.

"Rowena, you animal! I'll kill you!"

Ronald grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced my head up.

Then a heavy slap landed across my face.

It split the corner of my mouth open on the spot, blood pouring out, my eardrums ringing.

"Are you going to sign or not?"

"Don't sign, and the next thing I stomp is her other hand."

A little way off, Rowena obligingly lifted her blood-stained high heel and aimed it at the fingers of Anya's left hand.

Anya was in so much pain she was nearly unconscious, but she still weakly shook her head at me.

"Sonia... don't sign..."

I closed my eyes in despair.

I couldn't just watch Anya lose the use of both her hands.

Just as I was about to loosen my fingers and give in to them

A hand smelling of scallions and cooking grease closed precisely around Rowena's ankle from behind.

That hand that always trembled when it served food in the cafeteria.

Right now, not even a fingertip moved.

"Touch her and see what happens."

My mother's voice rang out, calm, without the slightest ripple.